The Underground
by crbrgmi
Summary: AU: There is a place, beneath the city streets of London, where a designated few have taken refuge. The people of the Overground don't know that such a place exists, while the people of the Underground use this advantage to grow and prosper. Set in the mid-1700's, the American Revolution becomes the main point of her life, and she just wants to hide from it all.
1. Prologue

**AN:Hello, all! This is my new story that I've been juggling around in my head for awhile now, and I've finally managed to put it into words.**

**Now, a couple things before we get started:**

**1: The disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, nor do I own any historical figures that may or may not show up. This story is purely fictional, which means that I cannot say that anything that happens in this story happened in real life (except, maybe, the American Revolution...that's the only event that actually happened.)**

**2: This fic is based on the song 'Underground' by David Bowie, which I also do not own. I will put up the lyrics here in a moment. This song is from the movie 'The Labyrinth', which, regrettably, I also do not own.**

**3: I tried to incorporate each character in this story to their roles in Fairy Tail. I did have difficulty with Lucy's spirits, but I think I did them justice with their sudden mortality.**

**4: I have the whole story laid out already, but don't hate me if I don't update quickly. The problem is taking the time to sit and write everything out.**

**5: There is no real set pairing, yet, and if there will be, it'll be quite awhile before we get there.**

**Now, without further ado, I give you the prologue. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review/fave/follow!**

The Underground

Prologue

_No one can blame you for walking away/Too much rejection/No love injection/Life can be easy/It's not always swell/Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl/'Cause it hurts like hell/But down in the underground/You'll find someone true/Down in the underground/A land serene/A crystal moon, ah, ah/It's only forever/Not long at all/Lost and lonely/That's underground/Underground_

The man glanced around the corner, having heard footsteps in the distance. His heart raced, and he could feel a cold sweat slipping down his forehead, splashing onto the boy's nose. Silently, he cursed, and shifted so he could wipe the perspiration off his son's flawless skin.

It had taken him years to gather the courage to take his son to his birthplace, but the problem of being discovered was imminent, and he didn't want to be the reason the guild finally being discovered. It was only fitting, however, since he was the first person to leave, without condemnation, without regret. And, had life turned out the way he planned, he wouldn't be coming back now.

But life had a way. For years he had been thinking of the guild. Wondering how his old family was doing. But, he had his own priorities to think of, a family of his own, an honest job…

The sound of a patrolman's boots hitting the cobblestone of the road caused the man jump behind a pile of trash. Thank goodness the boy was a heavy sleeper; he would hate to have to explain himself now, instead of allowing the boy to find out on his time, reading the letter the man had written.

It was only a day ago when the man's perfect life shattered. His wife raped and murdered, bandits storming his cabin...he and the boy barely made it out alive. At the memory of his wife, the man choked on a sob.

No. No time to mourn right now. First, get the boy to safety, then get yourself on that boat. Then you can mourn for her. Then you can mourn for your son.

Dodging around corners of London's streets, the man finally came upon the old, rundown building, still standing like it had all those years ago. He climbed up the steps and pushed the heavy wooden door open. The door creaked loudly from having not been used in, possibly, years. Probably hadn't been used since he left, as a matter of fact.

He walked down the hallway until he came to the basement door. He shifted the child so the boy was easier to carry, and reached for the doorknob.

The door opened just moments before he could grab the knob. He stumbled back, not knowing what to expect. An ambush? The police? Perhaps a guard posted at this entrance was about to kill them both for finding out the secret.

But no.

"It's so good to see you, Igneel," the old man said, quietly, noticing the sleeping boy in Igneel's arms.

The man visibly relaxed, sliding down the wall he had backed into, still grateful for his son's ability to sleep like the dead.

"Makarov, thank God."

"What brings you back here, son?" The old man stepped towards Igneel and his son, inspecting the pink-haired boy. "You haven't decided to come back, have you?"

"I'm sorry, but no." Igneel pushed himself up off the floor, suddenly feeling very relaxed in Makarov's presence. "I actually have a favor to ask of you."

Makarov held up his hand, already seeming to sense what the younger man wanted. He held out his arms, motioning for Igneel to transfer the boy to him. Makarov was, by no means, a tall man. In fact, he was probably shorter than the boy, who was only 5 years old. But, the old man had strength, much more than most his age, and most younger than him. Igneel was always in awe at how much the old man could still do for his age.

"I also have a letter for him," Igneel said, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of his breeches pocket, and handed it to Makarov, his hand suddenly shaking like he, alone, was standing in an earthquake. "Please read it to him when he wakes."

"I shall." The old man turned back toward the basement door, but paused before going down the stairs. "Do you plan on returning anytime soon, my son?"

Igneel smiled, tears forming in his light brown eyes. "I plan to, but since when have things ever happened the way they're supposed to?" He kissed his palm and placed it on his son's rosy head. "I love you," he whispered, before turning and quickly making his way out of the abandoned home.

Makarov watched him go. A sigh escaped the old man's lips before he proceeded down the stairs, led without a light, only his memories to guide him.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, my new son," he whispered to the boy.

_Daddy, daddy, get me out of here/Ha ha, I'm underground/Heard about a place today/Nothing never hurts again/Daddy, daddy, get me out of here/Ah ha I'm underground/Sister sister, please take me down/Ah ah I'm underground/Daddy, daddy, get me out of here_


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary: In the mid 1700s, with the threat of the colonies going to war again the crown, Lucy Heartfilia fears for her brother's life. Her father, however, has his sights only on his own gains, and plans for his daughter to marry. However, Lucy sets out to let her father know that things don't always go the way he plans, as she runs away to join a secret society, and possibly travel to America to be with her beloved brother; assuming he's still alive. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, David Bowie, or The Labyrinth.**

Chapter 1

13 Years Later

A gasp escaped her lips as she dropped the letter her brother had written her. She knew it. She knew as soon as he announced his departure three years ago, that he would be in danger. She knew it was only a matter of time since the American rebels dumped the tea into the Boston Harbour, that her brother's life would be at stake. And now, here he is, writing her a letter, telling her that, in his town, he was either the Union soldiers, or against them; and, according to her brother, to be against them meant a hanging.

Eighteen year old, Lucy Heartfilia clasped a gloved hand to her mouth as she read the letter again.

He had opted to join the Union. Her father, no doubt, would disown him, but, in her eyes, it was better than being dead. What she wouldn't give to be disowned by her father.

"_Be a good girl_," Loke had told her before leaving her to fend for herself, alone, against their father. "_I'll send for you soon, and you could come live with me in America."_

Lucy shook her head and sat on the chair in the study. Liar! It's been three years since he left her, and not once had he mentioned about getting her a passage to join him.

She glanced at her father, sitting at his desk a few feet away, reading his own letter received from Loke. _Right_, she thought, _because he would so generously allow me to be free of him_.

She glanced at the door leading out of the study as a gentle knock was heard. Her father grunted, his only response to allowing the person to enter. The door opened, and their maid, Aries, timidly entered the room, her head down slightly.

"Master," she managed to squeak, "The Lord Mander has arrived, per your request."

Lucy's insides ran cold. Lord Sal Mander. To her friends, the most handsome lord to be available for marry, and, oh, how lucky was she to be betrothed to him!

On the contrary, she couldn't be more terrified. Everything about the man seemed fake. From his smile, to his attitude, something just didn't seem right to her.

"_A lady's man_," her nanny had told her. "_He has women flocking to him from hither and yonder, and who's he to deny them_?"

Lucy's father looked up at the maid, and smiled brightly. Of course, word of her brother's traitorous act was only miniscule news compared to his daughter's upcoming wedding.

"Well, what are you waiting for, silly girl?" the man snapped. "See him in!"

Lucy gave the girl a comforting smile as she curtsied and left the room in a hurry, soon replaced by the tall, handsome Lord Mander.

As he entered, he graced the pair with a low bow, glancing at her. His dark blue eyes did nothing but send shivers of disgust up her spine. Lord only knows what he could possibly be thinking about as he ran his eyes up and down her figure.

As he righted himself, he brushed his dark hair from his eyes, and turned his full attention to her father. The men shared a hardy handshake before Mr. Heartfilia gestured toward a chair across from Lucy. Lord Mander accepted the offer, and sat, his back straight, his predatory gaze never straying from her.

Lucy felt her hands go clammy under the fabric of her gloves.

Her father started by clearing his throat, pulling the lord's eyes from her to her father. She, however, never strayed her gaze from her fiance, though it wasn't with love she was staring with.

"How have you been, my friend?" her father asked.

"Never better, sir. Actually, I was just on my way back from the church." He glanced back at Lucy for a brief moment before returning to her father. "Just a few more details to go over with the Father before the ceremony."

Her father sighed. "To think - only three more days, and my only daughter will be married and off to live her life. I cannot congratulate you two enough."

"Please, sir, allowing us to live in your home in the country is more than we could have wished for."

She resisted the urge to scoff. Listen to them talk, acting like she's been involved at all in the wedding planning. The only thing the men would let her do is pick out her wedding dress, and the only reason her father let her do even that much was because she wanted to wear her late mother's dress. Seeing Lucy in her late mother's wedding dress was probably the only time she's seen her father truly look at her, praise her as his daughter, and not as a possession of his.

Lucy bit her bottom lip to keep from saying anything she might regret, and out of impatience. She wanted nothing more than to run up to her room and write a response to her brother's letter. She needed him now, more than ever, and he decided to run off to join the American rebels in their tantrum.

Thankfully, she was rescued by another timid knock on the study door. This time, however, her nanny popped her pretty pink head in.

"Excuse me, sirs," she said, as politely as she could muster through the poisonous hatred she felt for the Lord Mander. The men set both their gazes on her, one with slight anger at being interrupted, and the other with amusement, at the very least. "I believe it is time for Miss Lucy's bible study. If you don't mind, I'd like to steal her away now."

Lucy stood without the approval of her father, and made her way to the door, almost tripping on her long skirt that billowed around her.

"I guess," her father said. Thankfully, Virgo, Lucy's nanny, was one of the only people Mr. Heartfilia let make their own decisions. Maybe it was because her decisions seemed to profit him, even though everything Virgo told him was pretty much a lie to get Lucy out of doing anything she didn't want. "Make sure you ladies have Gajeel with you. I don't want you two walking down the streets unaccompanied."

Virgo curtsied as Lucy raced passed her, not being able to leave the study fast enough. The air was intoxicating, and she felt sick to her stomach just being in the same room with that horrible man. And to think, they expected her to marry him!

As the ladies left the house, their guard following close behind them, Lucy couldn't wait another moment before pulling on her nanny's arm to tell her the news of her brother.

"Loke has joined the Union," she spat out, not caring who heard her. She did, however glance back at Gajeel, the mountain of a man, red eyes and thick mane only made him seem more threatening. He also knew and liked Loke, and as his eyes narrowed at Lucy's news, only meant that he was concerned as well.

Virgo, however, kept her features straight. Lucy knew of Virgo's infatuation with Loke, and knew it broke Virgo's heart the same as Lucy's when he left. The girl could only imagine how this news would affect her friend.

"I understand that he did it to save his life," she went on, "but what does that mean for us now?"

Virgo breathed in deep. "It means he's saving his life. I'm optimistic." She patted Lucy's hand. "Even though he's sided with the Americans, I still believe he'll come for us. Miss Lucy, he's been there, now, for three years. Imagine the relationships with the people he's met. Do you honestly believe he's been holed up in his home all this time, without making friends or acquaintances? Trust in him, dear. Write him a response, and see what he has to say."

"Nothing good can come of it," a low gruff sounded behind them. The girls stopped to glare at their escort. He glanced at the girls in turn and shrugged. "Don't mind my saying, but no one really believes this thing to last through the year."

Lucy huffed and whipped back around, angrily stomping off in the direction of the church. Just as she took two steps, however, a young boy ran in her way, tripping on her skirts. He slid on his front, immediately starting to bawl as he no doubt suffered scrapes and bruises from the crash.

Lucy gasped at the young boy, who looked to be homeless. His clothes were no more than rags, his breeches too small for him, even for his tiny, thin frame. He was obviously malnourished. His blue hat had fallen from his head, revealing raven colored curls. She immediately helped him up, with the assistance of Virgo, and dusted him off.

"You poor thing," she cooed. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

" 'Appy!"

The group of three looked up to see a boy, about the same age as Lucy, standing there, hands on his hips, glaring at her. She blinked at him, having never seen anyone quite like him before. His clothes were about as raggy as the boy's were, but in no way was he as thin as the boy. What drew her breath from her, however, was the man's hair. He had rosy pink hair, almost matching Virgo's shade of pink, but Virgo's was more darker, closer to red.

He glared at the trio as the boy ran from Lucy's arms and clutched his bony arms around the boy's legs.

"You okay, 'Appy?" the boy asked, not once taking his scowl off Lucy. The boy nodded, wiping snot off his nose onto the older boy's pant leg.

"Good," Gajeel growled, his hand going to the sword on his belt. "Now the two of you get out here before I report you two to the constable."

The older boy moved his eyes to Gajeel, and broke out into a smile. He put his hands up in defeat and backed away.

" 'Ey, no need to get 'ostile with us orphans. We didn' realise it was again' the law to play on _your_ walkway."

Lucy's ears burned from the boy's accent. But she held her tongue. She knew that was how people talked in the lesser parts of London, she just didn't expect to see anyone like that in her neighborhood.

The little boy tugged at the older boy's pants, sniffling. "Let's go, Natsu. I'm hungry."

Natsu, the older boy, patted the young one's head, looking down at the child. "Don' worry, 'Appy. I'm sure Auntie will 'ave scrounged up some sort of porridge for ya."

The pair turned to leave, but Lucy was too struck with guilt that she couldn't help but stop them.

"Wait!" she called, pushing passed Gajeel and rushing to the older boy. She pulled out her purse and handed him some money. "Please, go buy yourselves something warm and fresh to eat."

The older boy glanced down at her offering, before scoffing. "We ain't gonna accept your charity, lady." He all but spat in her face before turning around to walk away.

Lucy held her hand to her chest, appalled that he would refuse her offering. How could think so foolishly about himself when the child was clearly starving, probably sickly from the look of him. She bent down and placed the money on the walkway.

"I'll leave it here, then!" she called to the retreating backs. "Don't take it if you really don't need it!"

With that, she stood up straight and continued on her way to the church, her nanny and guard following closely behind. She didn't bother to turn around to watch the little boy run to the money and grab it. She didn't see him pocket it with even more money that he managed to snake from her purse while she wasn't looking. She didn't see the pair of boys disappear through a secret hole behind a tree in the park across the street.

What she did notice, however, was Gajeel's grumbling about ungrateful fools, and Virgo's words of prayer for the children's safety.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The younger of the two boys squealed as they ran down the tunnel toward their home. The older boy laughed as he walked with long, confident strides.

"That lady was so dumb," the boy squeaked. "She was probably the dumbest we've seen, yet, Natsu!"

Natsu scowled down at the boy. "Now, Happy, that's not a very nice thing to say about someone."

"But it's true, Natsu!" The boy stopped skipping and looked up at his partner, a pout forming on his features.

Natsu turned to jelly when the boy used the pout on him, but he had to stay firm. It's what a good father would do, after all.

"Be that as it may, you don't call people dumb."

"I'm sorry, Natsu." Happy hung his head, sniffing as a tear escaped his blue eyes.

Natsu looked down at his son, pride filling him in every pore of his being. Sure, he was teaching his son to be a thief, but the boy was smart, and was catching on to the tricks of the trade faster than anyone he's ever met; well, apart from him, that is.

Natsu shook his head, quickly getting the thought of his childhood out of his mind, and locked away where it belonged. Now wasn't the time to start moping around about him as a child. No time to think about how his father up and left him, deserted him to grow up and live his life as a thief. Natsu swore, since the day the old man first read him the letter left by his father, that he'd one day leave this miserable city and go look for his real father.

That had to wait, though. He still wasn't ready. Not to mention he now had this little boy to take care of: the little boy named Happy. Natsu found Happy on one of his few nights out in the city, without a job to worry about. He happened upon the crying baby in an alley in the heart of London, rolling around on a large pile of trash, forgotten, ignored, left for dead.

Natsu was only twelve when he accepted the role of father, but it was one that he was keen on fulfilling. He would love and cherish the younger boy, teach the boy the ways of living in Fairy Tail, and watch the boy grow up to be a successful man, probably take over Grandpa Makarov's position as leader of the group.

But, for now, Natsu had to teach his son the importance of not looking down upon his targets, no matter how dumb, blind, or deaf they may be. Treat each one differently, and with as much respect as one could muster when tricking that target out of as much money as possible.

Natsu placed a hand on his son's curly hair. "Don't worry, Happy. You did good today. We made enough money to feed us for a week, more with how little Mirajane actually charges us."

The boy looked up and showed a toothy smile to his father. "I bet she'll give me a free cake, today!" Happy returned to bouncing down the tunnel, his previous feelings of victory returning.

Natsu smiled as he followed the bouncing boy through the tunnels, taking turns that normally would have a person lost for weeks, but only took the pair mere moments before they uncovered the city underground.

It was amazing, the first time Natsu saw it as a boy. A fully functioning city, under the streets of London, the latter none the wiser of the former. Grandpa Makarov called the place Fairy Tail, the guild of thieves, but he was the only one who did; though just because no one else called it a thieves guild, didn't make it not true. Everything cost money, even down here, and where else for the members to get money than to either get an honest job in the guild, or to steal it from the world above.

Grandpa Makarov was the one who said it most: "Without the currency of the Overground, there is no commerce of the Underground."

An amazing aroma greeted the boys' return, and they found themselves being led to Mirajane's pub, the only place in their quaint little world where they could get a decent meal, and for such a small price. As they made their way through the makeshift streets of Fairy Tail, people they passed offered them a greeting, or a pat on the head or back. The boys were well known, and well liked. Both of their stories were not unknown to a single person who lived there, but, then again, no one's back stories were a secret. Everyone in the guild was family, and everyone looked after one another.

The boys burst through the double doors to the pub, where they were greeted with happy cheers from the patrons, not a single one of them sober. It was already after lunch, so what better time to get stinking drunk than now? Actually, most of the people who occupied the pub were drink almost as soon as the woke up in the morning, until the time they blacked out in the evening.

Mirajane, the pub's owner, greeted the boys with a smile as they hopped onto the barstools, and she placed a plate of a piping hot beef and potatoes on the counter for them. The food looked freshly made, almost as if she anticipated their arrival for right at that moment. That was one of Mirajane's many qualities, though. She seemed to know exactly what everyone was doing, and when they'd be around. For most, it wasn't a surprise, since most of the guild was there all day, everyday, anyway. It always amazed Natsu, however, since he and Happy were never there at the same time.

Happy dug into his mashed potatoes, but jumped back a bit, having burnt his tongue. Mirajane chuckled.

"It's hot, Happy. Be sure to blow on it a little before you devour it."

"I know, EmJane. It just smelled so good, I couldn't hold back." He took another bite of potatoes as he stabbed his beef with a fork, the barmaid having already thought to cut it up for him.

She chuckled again at the boy's nickname for her. For a five year old, it was difficult to say her real name, but she loved the boy's version just as much. She turned towards Natsu and pushed a cup of beer toward him.

"Were we successful today?" she asked.

Natsu grabbed his cup, lifted it towards her slightly in cheers, and took a sip. He opened his mouth to reply, but his son beat him to it.

"You're darn right we were!" he exclaimed, accepting the cup of juice she pushed to him. "We met some pretty dumb rich people. I managed to rip off a hundred pounds from the stupid lady before she actually gave us more!"

Natsu gave his son another scowl at calling the girl dumb and stupid, but he shrugged, unable to argue with him. Let the boy enjoy a such a success. It wasn't common for them to come back with so much.

Mirajane opened her mouth excitedly as she fed on the boy's enthusiasm. Happy was contagious, and it was very rare for anyone around him to feel anything but happy.

"Oh my, I think that calls for some pudding for dessert, don't you think, Natsu?"

Natsu nodded. "Always. You're pudding is the best around."

Happy clapped his hands as a little girl quietly snuck up on him. The two adults hid their smiles so the boy would be none the wiser. The girl grabbed his sides, causing him to shriek and jump off his chair, immediately taking chase after his friend.

Mirajane sighed. "Oh, to be children again," she said as she watched the two kids running around the pub, dodging the patrons, ducking under the tables, and just being a nuisance. She turned to Natsu, who was smiling as he watched the children. "So, this lady Happy mentioned - was she an old woman?" Mirajane gently placed her hand on his arm.

Natsu glanced at her for a second before rolling his eyes at her question. Ever the romantic at heart, Mirajane was one who always enjoyed love among people. She felt, as part of her role as the barmaid, it was her business to set up two people who seemed to be absolutely perfect for one another. Unfortunately, she hadn't been quite successful, as far as Natsu could tell.

There was a rumor that she had succeeded once, but that was a long time ago before he was even brought to Fairy Tail.

"Yes," he replied, turning all the way back toward the counter and resumed eating. "She was an ancient thing, almost deaf, and could barely see."

"Natsu, when are you going to find a girl and settle down? You work too hard for your age. We're not going anywhere, you know."

"I know." He started pushing the food around on his plate, quickly losing his appetite. "I just have other things on my mind right now that I want to do first."

"Finding your father?"

At his nod of agreement, she sighed and decided that it was best to leave him be for the rest of his meal. Everyone knew that, once he started thinking of the father who abandoned him, there was no consoling him. He made it perfectly clear, ever since he was a small boy, that one day, he would raise enough money, and buy passage to America, where it was believed his father went.

He was determined for years, always setting aside a little bit of money for himself after each job, until it seemed like he actually might be able to afford it...But then Happy showed up, and Natsu had to put his plans on hold. No one was complaining, though. Everyone liked having Natsu around, and to see him leave them, just as his father had done so many years before, would be heartbreaking.

Presently, though, he had to focus on Happy, and raising the child to be a capable man was turning out to be quite a challenge for him. Luckily, though, he wasn't doing it alone. The whole guild had his back, and every single person who lived in the Underground helped one another in raising their children.

Natsu took a drink of his beer as he joined at the bar. A man sat with his back against the counter, his arms folded across his bare chest, his mouth unable to hide a smirk as he watched Natsu drink.

"What do you want, Gray?" he growled.

"I just heard you had a run in with a certain daughter of a certain lord." Gray Fullbuster, the guild's current most sought after eligible man that any of the girls would want to marry (and if he was aware of it, he didn't show it), was also the guild's number one nudist. Thankfully, though, only his shirt was missing, to which Natsu was very thankful.

Natsu threw a few coins on the countertop to pay for his and Happy's meals, waved at Mirajane, then turned to Gray.

"We finished the job without any mishaps, and that's all that matters." The rosette gave a quick smile to his friend before pushing off the barstool and making his way out of the pub. His fists clenched in annoyance as the man followed.

"You only managed to get a hundred out of her? I bet, with a little push, you could have gotten more."

"Well, I wasn't in the 'pushing' mood. I had Happy with me, after all." Not to mention if he had pushed, it would have meant a fight with that big guard of hers, and Natsu didn't want his son to witness him beating a muscle-headed beef cake to the ground.

"A little 'pushing' is what he needs to learn. Don't be nice to the Overgrounders. They don't deserve our gentle nature."

Sighing, Natsu stopped walking and turned toward the man following him. He didn't want to hear what exactly Gray meant by 'push', and he wasn't going to give the man a chance to explain.

"What do you want? Why are you following me?"

"Grandfather has something cooking up. Someone came to him with a request, and is willing to pay big for it. He wants you and Happy involved."

"Why? There are much more able people who can perform this job better than us. Besides, we just got back."

"Well, lucky for you it's not for a few nights still. But you should go and see him. He'll tell you more about it."

Natsu sighed and shook his head in defeat. Gray patted his friend on the shoulder and quickly made his way back to the pub.

The memories of his father exhausted him more than he liked to admit, and, right now, all he wanted to do was go to his room, fall onto his bed, and sleep for days. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he shuffled his feet as he walked towards Grandpa Makarov's home.

**AN: Thanks to all who faved/followed/reviewed. Your support helps the words flow, and helps me update sooner.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lucy stared at the dress. It frightened her. Even though she knew it once belonged to her mother, it was hers now, and she hated it for what it stood for. _By this time tomorrow night_, she reminded herself, _I'll be Lady Lucy Mander, and who knows what sort of activity I'll be partaking in._

She shivered and rolled over in her bed, facing the double doors that led to her personal balcony. The time was close to midnight, but she couldn't seem to close her eyes long enough to fall asleep. All she could see was that man's slimy smile as he leers at her. And to think, she'd married to that, and would have to put up with it for the rest of her life.

Her eyes burned with unshed tears. She had spent the last few days feigning interest in the preparations for the wedding. After the ceremony, everyone would come back to her father's house where there would be a quaint party. Then, without any hesitation, she and her new husband would start their long journey to the country, where they would live in her father's mansion.

The company of her friends hadn't helped ease her pain at all. In fact, they helped stoke the flames, complimenting her of her oh so handsome husband to be. How jealous they all were that she would have all that man to herself, bearing him children and waiting on him hand and foot. It downright sickened her that that was what her friends were looking forward to for their lives.

Sighing, she realized that she should have climbed out her window the night her brother left, and ran off to join him before his ship set off the next day. How much more pleasant her life would be, away from her father, away from the silly politics that she had been forced into.

She froze. She didn't know why, but the thought of running away put her on a high that she never thought existed outside of her novels. She slowly sat up, staring at the doors. It would be so easy. Sure, she was in the second story, but climbing down shouldn't be too difficult. She could make her way to the docks before morning, and somehow stow away to a vessel set for America.

It was a simple idea that she no doubt felt that she could accomplish it no problem.

The only thing that she'd have to figure out was how to get to the docks and on board a ship in her night dress. Surely she'd be noticed in an instant. Looking around her room, her eyes focused on her brother's letter. If she could pull this off, she'd be with her brother in no time, and her father would have no clue that her whereabouts would be across the ocean. He'd think she'd have gotten kidnapped and probably held up in some dingy place in the great city of London. It would take him years to realize that she was safe and happy with Loke, if he found out at all.

She blinked at her sudden realization. Of course! Loke! Loke still had his room made up as if he were just there yesterday. The staff made sure to keep his room tidy and clean, even if her father could care less what happened to the room. There had to be some clothes in there still, right? He hadn't taken his whole wardrobe on the voyage across the sea; he had to take as little luggage as possible.

Her blood pumped through her veins. It was so loud she was sure Virgo could hear it from her own room across the hall. She quietly made her way across her room, slowly grasping the door handle. She suddenly hated how quiet the house was. Someone could still be awake, and if that someone were to catch her, there could be severe consequences.

_Lucy, what could possibly be worse than a lifetime of servitude to Lord Mander?_

She nodded at her reasoning, and slowly opened her door, hoping the click of the door jamb, the creaking of the heavy door opening - only just so her small frame could fit through - and her heart pounding out of her chest wouldn't alert anyone.

She thanked the heavens that her father had just redone the carpeting on the second floor, the plush fabric making her steps sound as if she were floating instead of walking.

Loke's room was nearly across the house from where she was. Her parents' room was in between. She had to hold her breath as she tip-toed passed her father's room, and, once she passed the door, she let out the breath, but it came as a loud gasp, and she froze. No sound, good.

She continued on her way, and soon found herself standing in front of the door leading to Loke's room. It had been three years since she set foot inside, and she couldn't bring herself to go inside.

_Just think, Lucy! You'll be with the real thing soon, all you have to do is go inside, grab a shirt and pants, and you'll be free to go. Just take that first step._

Nodding in agreement to her subconscious, she grasped the handle, and slowly opened the door, and slipping in, shutting the door behind her.

She froze again, taking in the scene of her brother's room before her. Nothing had changed. Sure, she knew the maids would come in and clean, but she could feel his presence. She placed a hand on his desk, untouched, the papers set in neat piles, the ink bottle sitting next to the quill pen that he had used back in his school days.

_Okay, Lucy, focus. Go to the wardrobe, grab some clothes, and go back to your room._

She made her way to his wardrobe, and opened it, marvelling at the state of his clothes. She didn't know why it constantly surprised her to see all his things unmoved and untouched, but she always had to stop and reminisce about him. He was her rock, her shelter, from her controlling father, and he always promised to protect her. It came as a shock to everyone when he made the decision to travel across the ocean, but, at the same time, he was never happy with staying in London and taking over Father's business. It still hurt, though. It felt like he betrayed her, literally shoved the figurative knife in her back, leaving her to suffer their father alone.

But, he promised they'd be together again, and if he wasn't going to see that happening, then she will.

With newfound courage, she grabbed the first shirt and pants she laid eyes on, and pulled them out of the wardrobe. She closed the doors and turned to make her way out of the room but a figure stood in her way. She hadn't heard him enter, and his sudden appearance made her let out a tiny shriek and she fell back towards Loke's bed.

"What are you doing here?" Gajeel asked.

"Me? What are you doing here? This is the second floor!" She angrily berated him in a harsh whisper, but Gajeel wasn't afraid. In fact, her fluster amused him more, and she could faintly see him smiling at her.

"I heard a noise up here, and came to check things out, make sure no stranger was sneaking around up here. Imagine my relief to find it was only you sneaking around." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. "What are you doing?"

Lucy was at a loss for words. What should she tell him? Certainly not what she was planning. Gajeel was so loyal to her father that he'd tell on her the first chance he got. Panic started to set in as she couldn't think of a response, and she felt the tears that she'd been holding back for the last few days finally fall.

Embarrassed for having been caught, even more so that she was now crying in front of her father's lackey, she hid her face in the clothes she held. This was it, the end. He would force her to go back to her room, and probably lock the door, and tomorrow she will get married, erasing all hope for her reuniting with her brother.

The bed shifted as she felt Gajeel sit beside her, and place a hand on her head.

"I understand you're still worried about him," he whispered. She looked up at him, confusion written on her face, but he wasn't looking at her. "Don't worry, miss. He's a strong man. He'll survive whatever anyone throws at him."

Gajeel thought that she was crying for Loke. Of course! What else would anyone think if they saw her standing in her brother's room, and suddenly burst out crying. She bit her lip, thinking of anything to say to continue this lie.

"I just can't help but worry," she pushed out. "He's British, so naturally he's their enemy, but he said that he's sided with them, which means he's now a traitor to us."

"Like I said," Gajeel whispered, looking down at her. "He's a strong man. And smart, too. He won't let anyone hurt him before he sees you again."

With that, he stood up and made his way to the door. "I'll let you have a few minutes, but I'll be back. When I return, you're going to your own room and you'll go to sleep, right?"

Lucy nodded, touched at his compassion. Even though he worked for her father, she did feel a sort of attachment to him, almost like he was a second brother to her. Even though he did her father's bidding without fail, there was a certain softness to him that allowed her to like him.

And, as he shut the door behind him, she suddenly felt a twinge of guilt at what she was about to do.

No time to wait. She quickly threw off her night dress, shoving it under her brother's bed with her foot, and quickly pulled on the clothes. Loke was taller than her, and had a bigger build, so, naturally, his clothes sagged around her body. She pulled the tie on the pants, but the matter of the shirt showing off more of her upper body, than even she's admitted to seeing, was problematic. She went back to the wardrobe, and pulled out one of Loke's coats, which she threw over her shoulders and it managed to hide any bare skin that might be poking out. Complete with a hat to hide her blonde curls, she was ready.

Without a second thought to shoes, she opened the outside doors to her brother's balcony, and stood in the cold wind. The wind brought back a sudden force of fear, but she gulped it down, and made her way to the railing.

It didn't seem so high. She could climb over the railing, make her way to the wall of the house, and make her way down using the bricks as footholds. Easy.

Okay, now or never. The railing reached up to her waist, and it was a bit of a challenge to lift her leg up and over, and then get the other one. She could feel the plaster scrape her delicate feet, her not being so used to walking about barefoot. She smiled at her feat, feeling more and more courageous as the seconds ticked by.

She started making her way to the house, inching slowly, still a little wary of the ground below her. Should she fall, she could end up with a broken bone or two. Well, at least that would postpone the wedding.

She froze as she heard the door open, and Gajeel rushing to her, calling her name. No, he can't catch her before she even tried to climb down. Panic rushed over her, and, throwing caution to the wind, she started taking normal steps to the house. If only she could make it to the brick, she'd be able to quickly climb down.

Her foot caught one of the iron railings, and she cried out in pain. Without another thought, she bent down to grab at her toe, but she lost hold, and felt herself falling backward. Her stomach leapt to her throat, her eyes wide as she watched as Gajeel went to grab for her, but he was too late.

The impact was hard, and only knocked the wind out of her. She looked around and found herself face to face with a bush, twigs poking and prodding at every part of her body. Immediately she started fighting with the sticks and leaves. She could hear Gajeel calling for her from the balcony above, asking for her wellbeing.

Was she hurt? Probably. But she was too excited to stop and think about it. She had to get away before Gajeel woke the whole neighborhood and she was caught. She rolled out of the plant and pushed herself on her feet, not stopping for a moment to think about what she was doing; she was just doing it.

She was escaping! Finally! She could feel her freedom the further away from her home that she ran. She ran until her lungs burned, her legs cried out from overuse; but she kept pushing. She didn't want to stop until she got to the docks, but, even by running, it could take her until morning to find exactly where she wanted to go.

She had to stop. She had to take a breather and figure out her next plan. She had to find a hiding place before Gajeel caught up with her. She wasn't used to running, but he was, and it would only take him a short moment before he caught up to her.

Taking the first opportunity she could, she ducked into an alley, and rested against the wall.

She did it. A smile formed on her lips so wide, she never thought she'd smile like that again. She tried to push it down, but it kept appearing. She knew she wasn't out of the woods yet, but she couldn't help a little celebration that she actually had the courage to escape from her house.

She slid down the wall, catching her breath. Her legs had never been used for such a long exertion, she was sure they'd fall off by morning. Looking down at her feet, she noticed welts, bruises, and a few bloody scrapes, but at least she was out of there. However, if she didn't find shoes soon, her feet would become unusable. Her breathing slowed slightly, and she felt like she could manage to go a little farther. However, as soon as she pushed herself up off the wall, her way was blocked by a big, bulky man. At first she feared that Gajeel had found her, until the man spoke.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry, girly?"

Before she could do anything, the man grabbed her, placing a dirty, smelly hand over her mouth, and pushed her farther into the alley.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

He barely had time to register what was going on before he saw the push the boy into the darkness. He probably didn't have to get involved; the boy had probably had it coming; but Natsu wasn't in the mood to just sit and let a boy get beat up by a man three times his size. As he waited for the pair to come farther into the alley, Happy made his appearance, sticking his head out of the man-hole in the ground, a question written on his face.

"Natsu?" the little boy whispered. He stared up at his dad, who had shushed him almost as soon as he got the first syllable out, but the older man had his attention down towards the street. He looked to where his dad's attention was, and gasped when he saw two people coming.

He knew the drill: Hide in the tunnels until his dad came to get him, when it was safe and the strangers were taken care of. Happy pulled the wooden cover of the hole and he dropped down - not a far drop, and he landed on his feet - and he crouched by the wall, waiting.

Natsu pressed himself against the wall, not wanting to be found out...yet. The pair made their way closer, and he could hear the boy whimper against the man's hand, which was covering the whole bottom half of his face. Just as the pair went to passed him, Natsu threw a punch to the side of the man's face, causing the man to stumble towards the other building, releasing the boy as he hit the brick. The boy stumbled forward a bit, but caught himself before falling, turning large, frightened eyes to Natsu, who stalked up to the bigger man.

"Run away, kid," Natsu told the boy before grabbing the man just before he could fully right himself. Natsu threw another punch, but the man was prepared this time. Hw shoved at Natsu with his shoulder, making Natsu fall back. He only had enough time to see the boy running back down the alley from where he came before the man tackled him.

Lucy wasn't going to stick around to see the outcome of the fight. Sure she was grateful to whomever saved her, but she thought it better not to stand around and wait for things to get worse. What if someone were to call the police? Then her chance of escaping was close to none.

Just as she was about to turn the corner into the street, she bumped into another large mass of body, but, upon looking up to see who she ran into this time, her stomach fell to her feet in pure terror as she gazed upon the crimson eyes of her guard. Gajeel lifted his hands to grab onto her arms, not giving the scuffle behind her any mind, but she ducked away from him and skipped back. He moved to grab for her again, but she turned around and ran back to where the fight was happening.

Maybe there was an outlet at the other end of the alleyway? Managing to slide passed the men fighting, she was thankful for her small form as she turned around and saw Gajeel take a fist to the chin. He stopped and turned toward the bigger of the two fighters, and grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him up to Gajeel's height.

For a split second, Lucy marvelled at how much bigger Gajeel was compared to the two, but she couldn't stop to admire the man who had kept her safe for at least ten years now. Having not been paying attention to where she was running, she felt herself hit a solid form, but not enough to knock the person over. She tripped and fell against the wall, her eyes wide at the little boy she ran into.

The boy smiled at her, not fazed in the least that he had been knocked over. He held his hand out to her.

"Come on, dumb lady," the boy whispered. "We can take you somewhere safe." Without waiting for her to grab his hand, the boy jumped down a sewer hole. A sewer hole! How could he possibly think that she'd just jump down into the tunnels that ran with the excrements of the London population?

"Lucy!" She heard Gajeel call to her, and she looked back at him, but was grabbed by the pink haired boy and forced into the hole. She managed to see Gajeel tackled by the other man, much like the boy had been earlier, as she was pushed down, her hands and feet slipping off the ladder and she fell the few feet to the ground.

She sat up, rubbing her behind as the boy placed the wooden cover back over the hole, engulfing the trio in darkness. She stood up, ignoring the pain in her backside, and grabbed the first person she could find.

Natsu looked down at the boy who grabbed him, slightly surprised that he managed to find Natsu that quick.

"What are you doing?" the boy asked, in a strangely high pitched voice. "We have to go up there and help Gajeel!"

Natsu put his hands on his - her? - mouth, forcing her to be quiet. Happy shushed the newcomer when she - he? - started whimpering and growling. Natsu could gather that he - she...gah, what the hell?! - must have been annoyed at being grabbed twice in just two or three minutes, but they needed to be silent.

The three of them sat for a moment, listening to the sounds of the fight above. Natsu looked down to the newcomer as he heard calls for Lucy.

Happy clicked his tongue, motioning for them to start moving down the tunnel. Natsu still held his hand over the girl's mouth, still needing her to be as quiet as possible. He deduced that this was a girl after he had to put his free arm around her to keep her from tripping in the darkness, and felt that her chest was much more endowed than a boy's could be.

He smirked slightly. He had come across girls pretending to boys over the years of living on the streets, but he never actually brought any of them to Fairy Tail. Most of them were just girls living on the streets, dressing as boys to protect themselves from the various predators of the night, but he could tell this girl was different. She wasn't trying to survive, she was running.

After walking through the sewers for about five minutes, Happy finally lit a candle, lighting their way only for the comfort of their new friend. The two boys could navigate the tunnels under London with their eyes closed, and walking backward. As the soft light illuminated their surrounding, he gently let go of the girl.

She pushed away from him, moving to go back from where they came. Natsu's reflexes were faster than hers, and he grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards where they were walking.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked. "Let me go! I have to make sure he's okay."

Natsu scoffed. "That big gorilla? He'd be fine. That man was piss drunk, and I had already worked on him plenty enough for even you to handle, had you chose to fight."

"Okay, I get it. Thank you for saving me, now let me go. I need to get to...I need to get back home."

Natsu glanced down at her at she faltered her words. There wasn't a chance in hell that she was trying to get back home. He saw how she first looked when she arrived at the alley, and someone who had run that fast, and who was that out of breath, wasn't running towards home.

She tilted her head as she watched the little boy leading them. She couldn't help that annoying twinge in her mind that she had met the pair before, but she couldn't place where. She allowed them to led her further through the tunnels, knowing that she couldn't run from them now; she'd be lost forever down there. Her best bet was to follow them until they, hopefully, led her back outside, where she'd have a much better chance at getting away from them.

Another thought came to her as she realized that they had jumped into the sewer: there wasn't a pungent smell. She was half expecting to faint at the overpowering stench, but there was nothing.

Though as they continued to walk, her feet and legs finally made their presence known, and sharp pains shot up through her legs, and she stumbled, grabbing onto the boy next to her. The little one in front stopped at having heard the shuffling behind him, and turned to see his dad holding the dumb lady as she looked like she tripped. He looked down at what she might have possibly tripped on, and saw the poor state her bare feet were in.

"Lady, why aren't you wearing shoes?" he asked. "It's cold!"

She glanced at the boy, finally clearly seeing his face, and her mouth opened wide, recognition finally settling in. She climbed up the boy she was holding onto.

"You!" she shrieked. "You're the boy from a few days ago!" She looked up at the other. "What's going on? Where are you taking me?" Despite her inability to walk, she fought against the rosy haired boy. These were the two she met in front of the park, the two whom she gave her money to. They had to be homeless, and now they were taking her back to their smelly hole where they might possibly hold her for ransom...or worse. "Take me back to Gajeel, now!"

Natsu shrugged and let her go, not really feeling sorry for her as she tumbled to the ground. "If you feel like you can make it back to that big oaf on your own, then be my guest." He was tired of her complaining, and her grabbing onto him like she suddenly lost the feeling in her legs. He started walking passed her, not stopping when he heard her clamber up onto her feet, calling out to him. He only stopped when Happy pulled at his sleeve.

"Her feet are hurt, Natsu," he squeaked. Natsu couldn't deny his son anything, even though his son didn't ask for anything. He knew what Happy wanted him to do, but he wasn't going to like it.

Lucy looked up as she heard the older one walk back to her. "Have you come back to your senses? Are you going to help me back?"

Natsu was silent as he swiftly lifted her in his arms, her weight nothing compared to the heavy lifting he'd done for the guild. He grunted as she started kicking, surprised at the sudden contact. She must have been raised in a noble family considering her discomfort at being so close to him. He thought it amusing as she panicked slightly.

"We're going to take you to our home," the little boy squeaked as he resumed leading them. "EmJane will know how to fix you up."

She looked up at the man carrying her. "Who's that?"

"You'll find out soon enough," he mumbled.

"By the way, my name is Happy!" The little boy spun around and started walking backward as he introduced himself. "I normally call you the dumb lady, but Natsu and everyone says that's not nice, so I think I should know your name so I can stop calling you that."

She blinked down at the boy, her cheeks darkening in color slightly at the realization that the boy thought she was dumb.

"My name is Lucy," she bit out. She tried to tell herself not to be angry with the child, but she couldn't help it.

"That's Natsu," Happy said, pointing to Natsu. "He's my dad, but not really. He found me as a baby and he's raising me."

Lucy looked up at Natsu, who kept his gaze steady at the darkness in front of them.

"We're taking you home, Miss Lucy," the boy continued, turning back around."

"And, where exactly is your home, Happy?" She looked back at the boy.

"The Underground," he said. "Fairy Tail."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Gajeel sighed as he leaned his head against the wall in his hotel room. The flabby, unkempt room was a sad comparison to the luxury he used to live in. Well, he could have that luxury back; all he had to do was find the missing princess, and he'd be back to living like a prince. Seemed easy enough, except the princess had disappeared from his sight right in front of him.

After his brawl with the nameless thug - who Gajeel thought had brought him into the fight randomly, and without discretion to whom he was fighting - Gajeel had followed her into the sewer hole, but lost track of her. It took him a whole hour before he gathered the courage to climb out of the hole and make his way back to the Heartfilia home, and another hour to gather more courage to tell her father what had happened.

Gajeel's story was that he suspected Lucy had run away, but got taken, and her father turned the story around; by that afternoon, the whole of London was buzzing about the kidnapping of the only daughter to the Heartfilia empire, and soon-to-be wife of Lord Mander. And then, to make matters worse, Lord Heartfilia had told Gajeel that if he ever returned to that house again, without his beloved daughter, he would have the guard killed. Gajeel, fearing for his life, left the residence immediately. He was smart enough to tell that that man was not bluffing; Gajeel had personally witnessed the man's cruelty.

That man was the reason Loke left; he, too, witnessed what his father did when he felt threatened, and Loke wanted to be no part of it. As the heir to the Heartfilia name and empire, Loke was expected to take over the company when his father died, however, he vowed that the company, and all its cruelties and inhumane practices, would die with the old man. As soon as he left, the old man in question turned his sights on his daughter.

Gajeel had written to Loke about their father's plans for her marriage - and he was sure Lucy and Virgo had written as well - but with the war in America suddenly becoming a problem, Loke felt it best that she remained in England, with Gajeel and her nurse to protect her.

Gajeel knew Lucy was going to run away, he just didn't expect that she'd be stupid enough to jump off the second floor balcony. Gajeel felt his heart stop when he saw her on the other side of the railing, and he felt his life leaving his body as she slipped and fell. He had never been so scared in his life, so to say that he was relieved when she got up and started running was a giant understatement. He knew then that he had to follow her, he had to make sure she was okay; but as he chased her, he soon lost sight of her as she turned a random corner and disappeared. He was lucky enough to hear the sounds of scuffling in one of the alleyways, and he thankful to have almost run into her.

It did hurt him slightly when she turned from him and ran away from him again, the look of fear evident on her face, but he couldn't do anything about when he was tossed into the fight with the random drunk man.

Placing his hands on his face, Gajeel hit the back of his head against the wall behind him a few times. How could he be so stupid? He should have told her that he knew, and that he was okay with her leaving. Hell, he would have gone with her, if only to keep her safe. He promised Loke she wouldn't get harmed, and now, because of him, she was with some orphaned beggars, doing who knows what to who knows who.

Forget Lord Heartfilia killing him, Gajeel was more nervous about Loke finding out, and Loke killing him. The two had been best friends since school, hell, it was Loke who got him his job in the first place. Gajeel left his own merchant family, the security of having a steady job, a steady wife, and a steady life, for an unpredictable career as the personal bodyguard for the Heartfilias (to a certain daughter, especially).

Growling slightly, he looked out his window where he had a perfect view of Big Ben, which started to chime the morning hour. He got off the bed, threw on his jacket, and walked out the door, his boots making it sound like he was stomping on the wooden floor. He wasn't really stomping, he just had naturally heavy steps.

He gave the innkeeper's wife a nod and a smile, who smiled and blushed in return, and he made his way back to that alleyway where Lucy disappeared.

The woman blushing at him wasn't anything new. He knew he was handsome, and he knew women would love to be _his _woman, if they could get passed his many facial piercings. At first, he was ashamed of his consequences of a drunken night, but he learned to grow on them, just like everyone did. He wasn't proud of that night, but he assumed he had fun. How could someone not have fun after getting drunk in a pub outside of London and then waking up next to a very attractive Gypsy woman? He had hoped it was one of the best nights of his life, he just wished he could remember all of it.

He kicked a rock as he entered the alleyway where Lucy disappeared. He had gone to that hole every day since she left, but everyday, nothing new came up. His routine was the same: he'd jump down the hole, search until the stench became too unbearable, then leave from which ever hole-cover was nearest. He'd scared a couple people, depending on where he'd eventually end up. He didn't blame them for being scared. Here he was, a large man with many piercings in his face, and unruly black hair that traveled down to his backside, climbing out of a sewer hole like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

But, despite whether the people found him strange or not, after a minute or two rest, he'd climb back down and start his search again. He knew, deep down, that she wouldn't be in there still, but there had to be some clue to where she'd gone. Homeless brats weren't the smartest in the bunch, and they had to have left something behind.

The clock tower chimed again, signaling the 8 o'clock hour, and he had to give up for the night. The sun had already disappeared, and the sky was quickly darkening. Luckily for him, it was almost the end of summer, and the sun stayed out longer, but it was also getting colder at night, and he realized that, as he was climbing out of another sewer-hole cover, that he'd have to dress warmer, and not rely on the jacket made of thin fabric, to keep him warm at night.

He stood in the middle of the street, not a soul around to witness his emergence from the sewers, which was a godsend as soon as he realized the neighborhood he was in. He looked to his left and saw a familiar park, a large grassy field littered with a few trees, and a path that winded around and through the field. To his right, he saw a familiar house. Not the Heartfilia home, but one that he dreaded even more: The temporary residence of one Lord Mander. The Heartfilia home was only a few doors down, but he'd rather be there instead of in front of this pervert's home.

Gajeel shifted his jacket, pulling it tighter around him as a slow breeze started blowing as the night enfolded the town. He was about to start his journey back to his hotel, where he would take a much longer, but much needed, bath, before he settled into his bed to rest, but something caught his eye. Something wasn't right about Mander's house. There were no lights on, which didn't surprise him, since the man immediately left the city upon hearing of Lucy's disappearance, and taking all his servants with him. _Bloody coward_, Gajeel thought for the hundredth time since the man left.

After standing there, staring at the house, Gajeel couldn't put his finger on what it was about that house that made him feel uneasy. Ten minutes passed, and nothing looked out of the ordinary. Deciding he didn't really care that much, he shrugged it off, and started walking down the street, in the general direction of his hotel. That man and his home was no longer any of Gajeel's concern, so if someone wanted to rob the man blind, let them.

Gajeel stopped. Where had that thought come from? He turned back to the house, and witnessed two dark figures make their way across the street and disappear behind the opposite side of the house that he was.

Seriously? What kind of amateurs would think to break into a house this early in the evening. He doubted anyone living on the street was asleep yet, meaning anyone could walk out of their home and witnessing two criminals breaking into the empty house.

Unless they knew that house was empty. That thought sent a warning flag in his mind. Just how long were these people watching this house? Or this neighborhood? They had to have been watching for at least a week, otherwise how would they know that the house was completely empty?

Then his mind flitted back to a memory of him, Lucy, and Virgo walking down this road, passing this park, and suddenly a boy tripping over Lucy's dress.

That's it...it was those two punks! Gajeel clenched his fists. That boy had taken Lucy from the drunken brawl scene that night. It had to be them. If he could catch them, he could make them take him to Lucy. He could free her from whatever prison they were keeping her in. He had the power to intimidate, and those orphans looked weak enough to cower under any strength he'd show them. He wouldn't hurt them any, maybe just push the older kid around a bit.

But either way, they were going to lead him to Lucy, and he was going to keep his promise to Loke. The only problem was, Gajeel had to sit and wait patiently for them to come out of the house before he confronted them. He really didn't want to make a scene and alert the entire neighborhood - they might slip away from him again, and who knew how long it would be before he'd get another chance?

He spotted a tree across the street in the park, big enough to hide his bulking frame, but he'd still be able to watch for their retreat. He'd jump out and grab one of them, preferably the taller one, and force him to admit where he was keeping Lucy.

Gajeel knelt behind the tree, and waited.

AN: And now we get Gajeel's side of the story (personally, one of my favorite characters). Now, I bet you've noticed that everyone is slightly OOC, but that's for the sake of the time period. Everyone will get more canon as time goes on and the story thickens.

As always, thanks for the reviews/follows/faves. It helps me get inspired to update. Even though I'm excited for this story, there's no point in writing it if no one likes it, right? So, again, so much thank yous and kudos and digital cookies. I'll see you all next time. :)


	7. Chapter 6

**AN: Thanks again for all the support (reviews/follow/fave)! Well, it's the weekend again, which means no work, which means another possible posting frenzy? I kind of hope so. Anywho, I take no ownership of just about everything involved in this story, except the plot itself. The characters belong to Hiro Mashima, The Underground belongs to David Bowie, and the Revolution...well that doesn't really belong to anyone, but it happened in real life, so...still no ownership from me. **

**Anywho, enjoy!**

Chapter 6

She turned to look up at her new partner in crime - literally. She still couldn't believe she let them talk her into being a part of this job, but she almost felt obligate after everything they had done for her since she first arrived at the Underground - which, upon thinking about it now, still took her breath away.

Lucy was overwhelmed, to say the least. An entire _city _underneath London! How in the world had anyone not notice this? What she had gathered from Happy's ramblings was that the city was called Magnolia, but their main home was called Fairy Tail. Quite a few unusual names, she had originally thought, not to mention she also originally thought the boy was exaggerating (things may seem big to a five year old, when, in reality, they really are fairly small), Natsu had kept his mouth shut the entire time they were travelling through the tunnels.

_As they walked through the crowded streets, she balked at the people they passed, stopping by bakeries and cafes, living life like one would on the streets of London. A man was haggling with a woman over the price of a fish - which made Happy stop and stare in longing before Natsu gently nudged him with his foot, mumbling something about eating at the guild._

_As they walked - well, Happy and Natsu walked, Lucy was carried - she tried to ask questions, but all she could manage were sputtered words that made little to no sense, so the boys ignored her. They were used this sort of behavior from newcomers. No one seemed to consider their little slice of Heaven possible, but, in the end, they came to love it, and never leave._

_Soon, she found herself staring up at a large gate, with a strange symbol that looked oddly like one of the pixies from one of her old story books hanging on the peak of the curved gate._

"_Welcome to Fairy Tail, Miss Lucy!" Happy exclaimed excitedly. "Don't worry, everyone is nicer than they may seem at first."_

_This did nothing to calm her already stressed out nerves. What did that mean? Were the people down here prejudiced against outsiders like herself? She couldn't blame them if they were, since this seemed like such a well-guarded secret. Why would they trust someone they didn't know to keep it?_

_She felt herself tightening her hold around Natsu's neck as they walked through the gate, and entered a small looking pub, where sounds of merriment could be heard. She already knew the people were rambunctious before Happy even opened the door - there was singing, laughing, and yelling - but nothing really prepared her for what she witnessed. _

_No one noticed the door opening; they were all so involved in their own activities to seem to care who was arriving. There were four long tables that spread through the width of the building, with smaller tables scattered by the windows on the farther side - only one of these tables was occupied, by four very intimidating looking people, each one watching the commotion with a look of sheer boredom. Everyone else, though, looked like they were having a grand time. There was about twenty people - before she lost count - that were spread out over the expanse of the tables - eating, drinking, laughing; one group looked like they were even playing a type of card game._

_There was a small bar at one side, where only two people were - the barmaid, and a small old man, both going on about their own business like there wasn't a giant party going on a few feet from them._

"_We're home, everyone!" Happy exclaimed as he rushed into the middle of the crowd. Everyone looked up as he said that, and she felt her entire body flush as they all looked at her._

_Silence filled the room for a good five seconds before someone called out._

"_About time you bring home a woman, Natsu!"_

_That comment broke the ice, and everyone was laughing, congratulating, and toasting to his success. Lucy couldn't help it - she turned away and hid her face in Natsu's chest, which seemed to only encourage the crowd. She had never been exposed to such openly rambunctious people, and she wasn't sure how she would be able to handle it. Everyone in her life was quiet, well groomed, and proper. She could almost feel her ears bleed a little at the things she heard the people saying._

_She felt Natsu start walking again. She hadn't even seen his reaction to what was going on yet, and she silently started praying that he wasn't going to just dump her in the middle and allow her to be laughed at. As a matter of fact, she realized he managed to walk passed the group, and it was suddenly quiet again. Looking up, she realized he had taken her into the back storage room, where they were met with a woman with strikingly white hair, and a calm smile on her face. Natsu set her down on a barrel, and walked out, without giving her a look. As soon as he was gone, though, she could hear him yelling at someone._

"_You poor dear," the woman said, softly, as she pulled up a crate to sit in front of her. She looked down at Lucy's feet. "My name is MiraJane. What happened to you?" She grabbed a small round tin from her pocket, and opened it. The smell of the cream caused Lucy to gag, but she answered the woman's questions._

"_I was running without shoes on," she replied. She shrugged. "I hadn't even thought to bring shoes with me, it just happened on a whim." She cringed as MiraJane applied the cream to her feet. "My name is Lucy." She didn't dare tell the woman her last name, for fear that she might tell someone that she was there, and her father would come get her (well, he would send someone to come get her)_.

Lucy pulled her arms tighter around her as a cold breeze blew by them. After being cared for, she was given new clothes, a room to board in a boarding house for women, and, after much persuasion, she managed to tell everyone that she wasn't with Natsu. The people were much nicer than she had feared, and she soon had a full guild of friends.

And a day later, she even managed to accept the offer to go on this job.

Though her courage left her as soon as she realized where they were and what they were going to do. Sure, they had told her that they were going to sneak into a house, steal some things, then leave, but she wasn't told the specifics of where the house was located. She immediately blanched when she saw that it was her fiance's house.

Happy had arrived earlier, and scouted the house, making sure that it really was as empty as they said, but it seemed like everyone who occupied the house left their belongings. Lucy had shrugged, and knew that this was only a temporary home, of course they weren't going to take everything with them when they left. She also knew that at least once a week someone would come and tidy the place.

Natsu looked down at her when he noticed her shiver. He hadn't felt the breeze, so he thought she was rethinking her choice of joining them.

"Don't worry," he whispered as he gently nudged her. "This is going to be easy. Once Happy gives us the signal, we go in, grab what we need, and get out."

"What is it that we're looking for again?" She found that she felt much better as soon as he started talking, so she wanted him to keep talking.

"Well, rumor is that the man who owns this place left after hearing his fiancee was kidnapped, but he left the wedding rings. Gramps wants us to get the rings for our client."

"And explain to me, again, how there even is a client. I thought no one knew you even existed."

"Well, the Underground is more of a rumor to the people here, and every now and again, Gramps finds someone who's willing to pay for us to do something for them. They are sworn to secrecy, but none of our clients will tell the police about us, because then they'd get in trouble for being associated with whatever crime we committed. Of course he also has ways to make sure they keep our secret, but we haven't had to use any drastic measures so far."

Lucy nodded, still not really understanding, but she was glad that she had calmed down.

Until the clock tower chimed in the distance, causing her to flinch and squeak. She heard Natsu chuckle at her, and she nudged him with her elbow. She was still a little uncomfortable about how "touchy" the people of the Underground were, but she found that being with Natsu wasn't as uncomfortable as it was being with anyone else.

She sighed, and couldn't glancing to the left, where she saw her father's home, just a few houses from where they were sitting. There were a few soft glowing lights in some of the rooms, and her stomach tightened. She longed to see Virgo, Aries, and the others. She could do without seeing her father, but everyone else in their home had been so nice to her; she wanted to at least tell Virgo that she was alive and well.

She flinched as Natsu poked her in her ribs. She whipped around to berate him, but jerked his head towards their target house. "Happy gave us the signal," he whispered. She nodded, and followed his lead, glancing around to make sure no one was around, then quickly ran across the street, bypassing the front door, and making their way to the back. The house's outside was set up almost exactly like her father's, and pretty soon they found themselves joining the child at a small door in the back, which she knew was the servant's entrance.

They opened the door - which she later found Happy was very skilled in lockpicking, which, to everyone else, seemed like the skill of the gods - but Lucy and Happy were stopped when Natsu put up his arm, silently telling them to stay where they were. He turned around and started to survey the kitchen area, listening for any sound that might signal someone else in the house with them. They were told the house was empty, but there could still be a servant or two left behind to watch the house. He slowly walked around the kitchen toward the door that led to the dining room, walking in a crouch to muffle his steps. He opened the door slightly, pausing when the door made a squeak, causing all three of their hearts to drop to the floor for a second. When there seemed to be nothing that was alerted by the sound, he pushed the door further, but only enough to let his body through.

Lucy glanced down at Happy after Natsu had been gone for about thirty seconds. She knew the importance of him checking the place before they went about their merry way, but she didn't think the two of them should be standing outside with the kitchen door all the way open. What if someone saw them running across the street? What if that person decided to come investigate? If they saw the door closed and no one around, they might conclude that it was just their imagination; but if they came around and saw her and Happy standing there, staring into the house, they'd call the police, or apprehend the two thieves themselves. She didn't know Happy's abilities to running away, but she knew her's, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to escape.

Letting her imagination run away with her, thinking of all the horrible things that could happen with them just standing there, she felt herself grabbing Happy's sleeve, holding tightly. The boy looked at his arm when he felt her tugging at him, and he looked up, he saw the lady looked absolutely terrified. He put his small hand on hers, and smiled at her when she looked down at him.

"Don't worry," he whispered, "Natsu will be back in a second, and then the job will be easy."

As if on cue, Natsu walked through the dining room door and motioned for them to follow. The two of them slowly made their way into the house, Happy closing the door behind them, bathing them all in darkness. Lucy only felt her anxiety heighten in when they were finally inside, but immediately calmed when she felt Natsu grab her arm.

"We need to hurry and figure out where he would keep the rings," he whispered. "I don't want to be here for too long."

Lucy knew exactly where Lord Mander kept the rings, but she didn't want to say without giving up who she really was and why she knew. Instead, she silently followed the boys through the door, and they began their search.

~.~

**AN: I apologize for any and all mistakes...I've gone through this chapter maybe three times before I became happy with it. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you all next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 7

**AN: Sorry it's been awhile since I last posted...things have been super busy lately. BUT! I was able to push out two chapters today, so...here's a two chapter special. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, David Bowie, or the Revolution.**

Chapter 7

She could feel Natsu standing behind her as she read the paper. She hadn't actually read an actual article on the war - everything she knew was either from Loke's letters or gossip from her friends. It was far worse than she had imagined, and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. She was one of those people who hadn't really paid much attention to America through her life. It was just another addition to England, and one she'd probably never visit. Loke had written her, telling her how different life was over there, and she had dreamed of joining him, but she never really knew anything about it.

"What is that?"

Lucy jumped, not expecting him to talk to her. She held the paper up at him, but as he glanced between her and the paper, she suspected that he didn't know how to read. She stepped next to him and held the paper up so he could see what she read.

"'The death count rises for both Great Britain and the American colonies as the battle travels south into the colony of Virginia'." Her voice cracked a little, knowing that was where her brother was. "'The crown plans to gain the loyalty of the south by offering freedom to any slave willing to join in the cause. Likewise, the rebels are also promising freedom, but without promise of a better future.'"

"Rebels?" Natsu interrupted, looking at her. "What an odd choice of words."

Lucy shrugged. She didn't want to get into a discussion over the correct politics - this did seem like an amateur newspaper anyway. She still didn't know Loke's standpoint, but she knew she would support him no matter which side he was on. As long as he stayed alive, that was all that mattered to her.

"If you ask me this whole thing is a bunch of rubbish," Natsu continued, taking the paper from her and setting it back on the end table.

"Rubbish, how?"

"If they want their freedom so badly, and are fighting for it, don't you think they should have it? I'm surprised the king has forced this to last as long as it has. If the fighting doesn't stop, soon there won't be anyone over there to fight - everyone will die."

Lucy looked away, not willing to accept Natsu's grim outlook of the war. She walked away from him and resumed looking for the safe she knew Mander kept. She hadn't told the boys that she knew this, but she also didn't know where it was. She figured looking for a safe would be common sense considering the items they were looking for.

She tried to change the conversation. "So, Natsu," she whispered. She glanced back at him and saw that he'd gone back to searching as well, keeping a close eye on the wall, in case there was a hidden chamber somewhere. "That's a strange name."

"I named myself after my mother."

Lucy stopped. "You named yourself? What does that mean?"

"Being accepted into the Underground means you have a chance to throw away your previous life, and start a newer, better life. Most everyone who lives there now chose their own names, different from the ones they had before. I didn't know my real name, so I chose one close to my mother's, but tried to make it more masculine."

"What was her name?"

"Natsumi." Natsu stopped and looked at a spot on the wall, seeming to be looking through it to another time, watching a scene happening from his childhood. "She was Japanese, moved here with an English family as their maid. She met my father, and she left her employers to move in with my dad in the middle of the forest. I don't remember what exactly happened, but she was killed when I was five. My father brought me to the Underground, where he left me."

Lucy had her hand on her mouth in sheer devastation. How horrible for a child to lose his mother. She knew by experience how horrible it was, and didn't wish it on anyone. And then his father left him? She could see that Natsu had loved his father, and being left had broken something inside him.

Natsu cleared his throat, and looked at her. His eyes widened at her expression, her watery eyes threatening tears to fall. He forgot she used to belong to a rich family, no doubt with both parents alive and well and loved her with all their hearts. He shook his hands in front of his body, trying to wipe away the hurtful memory of his. He smiled widely at her.

"Don't worry, Luce. It happened a long time ago. I'm over it now. I wouldn't trade my current life for anything." Upon realizing she hadn't calmed down, he took two steps and wrapped her in his arms. He wasn't sure what compelled him to do so, but he noticed her immediately relax against his body. "Really, don't worry. I'm fine. I don't want someone to cry over my past."

She shook her head, wiping her eyes on his shirt. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It just sounded so horrible."

"I didn't mean to make things depressing, Let's focus on the job for now, okay? We can talk about it later back at the guild."

Lucy nodded, not really wanting him to let go of her. His body was so warm, that she immediately felt calm against him. She suddenly realized how exhausted she was, having not really relaxed at all since she left her home. She closed her eyes as she breathed deeply. She would have fallen asleep within minutes if Happy hadn't spoken up when he did.

"I think I found what we're looking for," Happy said, eyeing the two of them. Natsu pulled away from Lucy, and quickly followed his kid out of the study.

Lucy sighed at the loss of his warmth, and followed. They traveled up the stairs and straight towards the master room. She couldn't help but blush, realizing that, if she had stayed and gone through with the marriage, she'd probably be living in that room at that moment. She didn't want to think about what she might be forced into doing, so she focused on the task at hand. _Just pretend like you don't know whose house this is, and you'll be fine!_

Happy led them to a bookshelf, filled with various types of books. There was a large empty space in the middle of the bookshelf where it looked like Happy might have removed the books. That would explain the pile on the floor next to the shelves, Lucy thought.

In the empty space, they saw a big iron box - the safe. Now, how to get it open was the question. Lucy studied the lock - a single knob in the middle of the door with numbers surrounding it. Honestly, it looked like every other safe she had seen, which wasn't many, but they still all looked the same.

Natsu looked at Happy, nodded, and stood up out of the child's way. Happy sat down in front of the lock, and carefully started turning the knob. Natsu sighed and looked at Lucy.

"Go keep watch," he ordered. "This could take some time."

Lucy nodded and moved to the window, which was facing the front of the house. She could see the street below and the park across the way. She couldn't see very far to her sides, but far enough to be able to tell if anyone was coming.

However, she must have gotten to the window too late, because she as she settled herself on the window sill, the three of them froze as they hear a door open downstairs. Lucy felt her heart sink to her toes at the realization that they were caught. They were done for.

"I'll go take care of it," Natsu growled as he silently walked out of the room. Lucy looked at Happy, but the child seemed to be in another mindset, not really paying any attention to what actually was happening.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Gajeel sat in his hiding spot, the same place where he figured the two thieves were hiding before. He had been sitting there for a good hour before he started to get impatient. His muscles and joints were locking up on him, having been squatting for the last hour. He glanced around, noticed no one was around, and he stood up to stretch, his joints popping as the tension was lifted off them.

He was glad he was alone at that moment - he probably smelled worse than the sewer he was crawling through that day. He knew it was unhealthy of him, but he refused to believe that Miss Lucy was out of his grasp, he refused to quit.

Faint sounds of a man talking made him quickly fall back to his hiding spot. He managed to quietly move the leaves out of his way so he could keep his eye on the man and his partner. From what Gajeel could see they were both wearing dark clothes, and their heads were shaped a little too long and ended up in a point, which meant they were wearing hats...and he knew the top hats that most gentlemen were wearing nowadays didn't end in a point.

They were police. Gajeel's stomach clenched in a painful fit of anxiety, though he wasn't quite sure why. If they were there for the thieves in the house, then it shouldn't bother him at all. They were thieves after all, they probably deserved to get caught. However, they were probably his only connection to getting Lucy back, but he shouldn't feel as nervous about them getting caught as he did in that moment. Something else was involved, though he wasn't quite sure what.

The men stopped in front of the house, and looked up at it, studying it.

"They said they saw someone go into the house," one of the men said. "It doesn't look like anyone is in there."

"It has been awhile since we got the call," the other commented. "Perhaps they already left?"

"Still, we need to check the house out, just in case. Then we can head over to Helga's for some ale."

The other man sighed audibly. "What I wouldn't give to just drink the rest of the night away. Not to mention being accompanied by Helga's noticeable body."

The men laughed, and started their inspection. Gajeel snuck out of his hiding spot. What he was about to do was completely against his morals, but at this point he had to do whatever he could to find the girl.

Silently, he snuck behind the policemen. He inwardly groaned as he concluded that he'd probably be going to jail after what he was about to do, but, if everything worked out like it was supposed to, hopefully Mr. Heartfilia could help him gain immunity against the law, assuming he'd be able to bring Lucy back.

The pair were slowly inspecting the house, looking inside the windows, making short comments about what they did or didn't find. Gajeel swallowed as he closed in on the one in closest to him. The man he snuck up on stopped, and sniffed.

"Hey," he called to his partner. "Do you smell something?"

His partner stopped and sniffed the air. "Nothing out of the ordinary, why?" He took two steps forward, but stopped when he didn't hear his partner answer him. He turned around, but froze when he realized that he was alone.

Gajeel had put his hand over the policeman's face and pinched the nerve between his neck and shoulder, hitting it perfectly, and the man had instantly fainted. He hid in the shadows as his partner turned around. The man pulled out his sword, and cautiously made his way back to where Gajeel sat silently, grabbing a large rock that sat to his side. The man passed him, getting hit with the stench that his friend had commented on. Gajeel slowly rose to full height as the man passed him, and hit him in the back of his head with the rock, not wanting to waste anymore time.

He dropped the rock and made his way to the back door where he assumed the thieves entered through. The door opened, and he made his way inside. How was he supposed to get their attention without creating too much noise? He didn't even know their names - not that he cared either way - but he wasn't sure what he would call out to let them know he was there. He shut the door behind him, and kept quiet, hopefully he'd hear something. Hopefully they were still there, and he didn't just commit that crime outside for no reason.

There was a quiet rustle from upstairs, and he was only slightly relieved that his actions weren't done in vain. Now all he had to do was somehow convince them to take him with them so he could take back Lucy.

He took two steps into the kitchen, and cleared his throat. "Hello?" he whisper called. He had to let them know that he wasn't a threat, but he also couldn't make too much noise lest the men outside woke up and heard him. He pushed the door open to the dining room, keeping his senses on alert. Sure he was there as a temporary ally, but they didn't know that; they could ambush him if he didn't keep his guard up, and, then again, he'd be left out luck.

When he didn't sense anyone in the dining room, he called out again. "I'm not here to hurt you," he whispered. "I need your help." He figured letting them know what he wanted up front would avoid any confrontation they'd have planned for him.

It didn't matter, however, because as soon as he stepped out of the dining room into the front hallway, a fist connected with his temple, and he stumbled over a table, creating a loud crash. He quickly stood up, and was just barely able to block a kick to his side. He could see his attacker's silhouette, and was able to shake off the surprise and block each hit with ease. He wanted to fight back, but he didn't want the boy to distrust him so easily.

"Will you stop for a second?" Gajeel growled, getting frustrated at allowing the other to push him into a corner. "I'm here to warn you and get your help."

"Warn me for what?" the boy growled, sending out a kick to Gajeel's knees, who blocked it easily.

"There are two policemen outside." Gajeel advanced only so he could grab the boy's fists, jump around him, and hold his arms around his back, pinning the boy against the wall. "I don't know what you guys are doing in here, but I'm trying to help you and get your help in return."

"I don't know who the hell you are and I sure as hell don't want your help," the boy growled through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, well if it wasn't for me you and your little friend would be towed off to jail by now."

There was a gasp behind him and he glanced up away from the boy his hands, only long enough to see the other thief standing at the top of the stairs. His eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, and he was able to see more than just faint outlines.

"Gajeel?" the second thief squeaked.

He froze upon hearing his name. The other thief wasn't the kid he had saw a few days ago - it was Miss Lucy. He immediately let go of the boy and let a relieved smile. He wasn't one to smile normally, but he had been through so much hell trying to get her back, and there she was, standing on top of the stairs, not far from him at all, wearing boys' clothes that actually fit her better than her brother's. He walked up to the stairs, but frowned when she backed away as he set a foot on the first step.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" he asked her frantically.

She stammered, unable to make any words form, and he couldn't blame her. She did, after all, think that he was her enemy, only taking her back to her father so she could marry that sorry excuse for a man. He actually had other plans for after he returned her, but he had to keep those to himself until the time actually came.

Suddenly she was joined by a small child, probably the same one that had tricked her that first time he had seen him.

"Natsu, I have them!" the boy called.

"Good job, Happy," Natsu said from behind Gajeel. "Now let's get out of here."

Without warning, Gajeel felt his feet swept from underneath him and he toppled to the floor, hitting the back of his head on the wood. He groaned and rolled to his side, white flashes appearing in his vision.

Lucy ran down the stairs with Happy, but stopped next to Gajeel, falling to her knees. "Natsu! Why'd you do that?"

"He's going to ruin this whole mission, Lucy." Natsu pulled her arm, pulling her up. "We have to get out of here, now. You heard what he said."

She fought against Natsu. She couldn't just leave Gajeel behind to face the police. Sure, he was working for her father and was trying to take her back home, but he was still one of the few people she could call a friend, and not to mention he was more loyal to her brother than her father. She gasped and pulled her hand free from Natsu, an idea hitting her. The boy turned and looked at her, his eyebrows raised in question.

"We can take him with us," she said. "We can't just leave him here. We have to take him with us."

Natsu shook his head. "There's no way we're taking him. I can't trust he won't go blabbing about us as soon as he gets a chance."

"I trust him, Natsu." She stood her ground, not moving an inch when Happy tried to push her toward the back door. "I'm not leaving without him."

Natsu clenched his fists tightly and ground his teeth. With a loud, angry growl, he pushed passed her, forcefully helped Gajeel up, throwing one of the man's arms around his shoulders, and roughly helped the older man out of the house. Lucy smiled, despite Natsu's anger, and she and Happy followed the pair out of the house.

Happy jumped ahead, making sure they were alone before motioning for them to cross the street. Lucy was the last to leave the property, but her stomach dropped in fear as she heard groaning noises behind her, from under a bush by the house. She ran as fast as she could to catch up to Natsu, threw Gajeel's other arm around her shoulder, and the group made it to the secret entrance behind the tree in the middle of the park.

~. ~

AN: Okay, ya'll know what you need to do! :) Fave/follow/review for more cookies, and, hopefully, a faster update!


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Gajeel growled as he rolled around the limited space. How the hell did it end up like this? He was only trying to do the right thing, and those assholes caged him! They made him their prisoner, tossing him into a small six foot by four foot cell, barely tall enough for him stand properly. He should have known something like that would happen. He was, after all, dealing with a society of orphans, criminals, and any other lowlife that London could possibly house. The worst part of it all was that Lucy was one of them. Loke was going to kill him as soon as he found out.

There was at least one good thing about being trapped in that little cage - he was forced to bathe, so now he no longer smelled like the sewer.

"Gajeel?"

He sat up, but refused to look at his visitor. He was glad that she was okay, but he was still bitter that she allowed those thieves to lock him up. How ironic that it was the criminals who locked him up, and all he did was help them escape. What an ungrateful lot of bastards.

He could feel her close to him. She put her hands on the bars. "Please don't ignore me, Gajeel."

He grunted, but turned away from her, crossing his arms over his chest. Hey, at least he didn't ignore her.

"You have to understand why they put you here, don't you?"

Of course he did. It was explained to him...many, many times. That didn't mean he had to agree with it, nor did he have to like it. He secretly vowed that, as soon as they let him free, he was going to take Lucy home and run to the authorities. He'd be pleased to see such an uncivilized population brought to an end by throwing every single one of them in jail.

Did they really think they could kidnap and corrupt his best friend's little sister, the heiress to the Heartfilia fortune, and not get away with it? He'd make sure every single one of them paid - starting with her pink haired companion and his child.

"Gajeel, they'll let you out if you promise not to say anything."

"No," he growled, unable to keep his silence. She was so ignorant, so innocent, she couldn't see what was really going on there. He had seen much more of the cruel world than she had, and he knew evil when he sensed it. This place was definitely evil. He turned his head just enough to look at her through narrowed eyes. "They want me to pledge my life to them, join them in their wicked ways, to their family of dirty thieves who don't know right from wrong."

"Gajeel, you're missing the picture. This place is so much more than that."

He grunted again, and turned away, finished with talking, her ignorance, and everything. Lucy clenched the bars tighter, his constant refusal biting at her nerves, and she couldn't stop the sudden anger from rising.

"I don't see why you care anyway," she bit out. "You've done far worse than steal before my father hired you. Even then I have to wonder if you were completely innocent after you started working for my father."

Gajeel spun around and grabbed the bars, putting his face only inches away from hers, only the barrier of the bars between them.

"Don't talk like you know everything, little princess," he spat, knowing very well that she hated to be called princess. At the moment, though, he didn't care what she liked or didn't like; what she just said hit a spot that he never wanted to visit again, and he needed to put her in her place. "Your father kept me out of prison, but it's your brother who I'm indebted to. Your father thinks he owns me, but I only do what Loke asks of me. The only reason I came after you was because he told me to protect you. I don't give a damn about your father, girl, nor do I really give a damn about you. The only reason why I'm here is because of him, and don't you dare forget where my loyalties really lie."

With that, he turned around, and lay down.

Lucy backed away from his cage. For some reason his words hurt more than they probably should have. She knew Gajeel and Loke were friends before he was hired by her father, but he gave off the feel of being a thug, willing to do any dirty deed his boss told him to. He frightened her almost every day, but there were rare times when he would show a soft side to her, and she had to believe that she meant _something _to him. After Loke left, he was put in charge of keeping her safe - well, in her eyes he was mostly just keeping her at home, keeping her in line. She knew he was devoted to her brother, but not to that extent.

What would Loke do if Gajeel died here? She clenched her fists at her sides. She should just leave it be, let Gajeel decide if he wants to live or not. What did she really care?

"If you don't join them, they will kill you," she said quietly.

"I'd rather die than become a thief again," he mumbled.

She looked at the ground. Again, his words hurt more than they probably should have. Without another word, she whipped around and left the little makeshift prison - just a space in one of the storage rooms in Fairy Tail.

_Go ahead then_, she thought as she pushed her way out of the guild, and into the streets of the Underground. _Die, see if I care. That will only make it easier for me to see Loke again._

~.~

He paused, his drink only making it halfway to his mouth. He watched as Lucy quietly made her way out of the guild, ignoring any and all who talked to her. The expression on her face wasn't one that he had actually seen on her face since she was first brought here. Absently, he placed his mug on the table and stood, having every intention of following her. A hand on his arm stopped him from leaving.

"What the hell?" his friend growled. Natsu looked down at Gray, blinking. "You can't just leave in the middle of my talking."

Natsu scratched the back of his head, glancing at the doors Lucy had exited through. "Well, if you weren't so boring, I wouldn't want to leave."

Gray stood up, grabbing Natsu's shirt. "What did you just say?"

"I mean your voice just drawls on and on, it's hard to concentrate on what you're saying in the first place." He shrugged apologetically. He hid a smirk as he watched Gray begin shaking. "I wasn't listening since the conversation began. I think I actually fell asleep halfway through."

"That's it!" Gray quickly threw a punch to Natsu's head, but the boy ducked. Gray's fist missed Natsu, but hit his neighbor, causing the unfortunate recipient's head to crash into her plate, her face covered in a sweet dessert.

Natsu chuckled and placed an apologetic hand on his friend's shoulder as the red haired woman slowly stood from her seat. Gray stared at her, eyes wide, his expression in terror as he looked death in the face.

Erza picked up a knife and threw it at Gray, but the boy was quick, and was able to just barely dodge the flying weapon, and it stuck in the opposite wall of the guild, right above MiraJane's head. The guild grew quiet, the only sound was the ringing of the shaking knife. All eyes were on the pair, waiting for the next move. Minutes passed, and Natsu was getting antsy. He pushed Gray onto Erza, saying something about tripping on his feet. Gray crashed into Erza, who crashed into the patron behind her. The man stood up, grabbed Gray by the collar, and suddenly the whole guild was in another uproar. Plates were thrown, chairs were shattered, faces were punched, hair was pulled, and MiraJane quietly mourned the state of her pub.

Natsu wanted to be a part of the fun, but the look he saw on Lucy's face made him follow her. He zipped in and out of fighting crowds, dodging fists with ease. As he left the guild, he breathed deep. Almost every fiber of his being wanted to pretend he didn't notice his new friend's look of anguish, and turn back around and kick some ass, but he knew he had to talk to Lucy.

~.~

The man slowly set the letter on the desk, not quite sure he could believe what he read. Then again, it was from _her_, and that woman didn't have a comical bone in her body. He had seen the newspaper article, but he didn't think it was this serious. All that was reported was that the wedding was to be postponed, but there was no reason to it.

He ran his hands through his orange hair, suddenly fearing for his little sister's life. How could she do something so drastic? Oh, right. Their father pushed the wedding date sooner. She wasn't supposed to be married for another year. The date change must have happened quickly after he left. But was running away really the answer? She didn't know her way around the streets of London, especially by herself. Virgo had said Lucy's been gone for about three weeks, and that was two weeks ago when she wrote the letter. There's been no sign of Lucy or Gajeel since then.

Loke wouldn't fear for Lucy's life if he was absolutely certain Gajeel was with her, but there was no guarantee that he had found her since then. Loke's knees gave out, and he fell to the chair, hiding his face in his hands as morbid images flashed through his mind. He knew the darkness of the back streets of London, and he couldn't help but see his little sister crying in a dark corner, surrounded by toothless homeless men, strange looks in their eyes as they gazed upon her little innocent body.

"Nooo, Lucy!" Loke wailed, laying his head back. "You dirty dogs! Stay away from my sister!" He pounded his fist on the desk.

"What's wrong, boy?" His grandfather stepped into the study, his huge, massive body blocking the entire doorway, his bushy eyebrows furrowed in concern. His massive mustache bounced as he talked. "What happened with Lucy?"

Loke jumped off his chair and ran to the old man, wrapping his arms around the older man's middle, his arms not fully reaching around his mirth.

"Something awful, Grandfather." The man cried. "Father pushed the wedding date up, but the night before the wedding she ran away."

The man cleared his throat and pushed the younger man off him. "Listen, son. I'll write your father on the matter. You can't be worrying about this. You leave in two days, and you can't focus on keeping yourself alive if you're fretting over Lucy."

Loke clenched his fists at his sides. "It was probably Father's fault that she left in the first place."

The old man set a massive hand on Loke's shoulder. "She's fine, Loke. I'm sure your father has every possible hired help looking for her. She's too precious to all of us for her to be alone."

"All she's good for, in Father's eyes, is another way for him to make more money and rise higher up in social status."

"At least we know that means he's doing everything he can to find her."

Loke grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest, agreeing with his grandfather. If there was one thing him and the old man gave Jude credit for was making sure Lucy was about as safe as he could. But because Jude was greedy, now Lucy was gone. If he had just kept the original wedding date she would still be safe and sound in her home.

The sound of the old man sighing brought Loke out of his inner grumblings. "How my beloved daughter fell in love with that man is still a mystery to me."

Loke shrugged. "At least they were able to produce beautiful grandchildren for you."

The old man smiled sadly at his grandson. "Go finish packing, son." The boy was right. His daughter and that vile man did give him two beautiful grandchildren; now one is missing and the other is about to join the American army in the fight against their homeland. He sighed and gently sat on the chair behind the desk, his eyes falling on the letter Loke had read only a few minutes before.

He grabbed the paper with his massive hand, and fought the urge to really see what the situation was, but it was a letter to his grandson from the woman he loved. There had to be things in that letter that was Loke's private business. Sighing again, King Celestial, folded the letter and placed it on the corner of his desk.

His mind took him back to his younger days, to when his daughter was marrying that man. She was the most beautiful angel in all of existence, smiling brightly as she approached her soon to be husband. King absolutely despised his new son-in-law, and, even though his wife had told him that it's the father's duty to hate his daughter's husband, but there was something deeper in Jude's eyes that King didn't like.

Sighing again, he quietly mourned his daughter. She passed away too young, and if he didn't do anything soon, his granddaughter might follow in her footsteps.

~.~

**AN: Thank you all for the follows/faves/reviews. I know I'm sucking at updating, but I updated now. :) So, that has to count for something, right? Review/fave/follow if you like the story, and I'll work on the next chapter diligently!**


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